The older the person is generally the lesser regard they have for personal branding, and that’s ok. They’ve built their brand and identity over a lifetime of work and have numerous references that will speak well of them. Unfortunately, most people don’t have this luxury, and social media is a necessary part of life these days.
More than that, social media is an enjoyable way to spend your time. There are few ways better than idling time away waiting in line than checking Twitter or Instagram. Memes are born from the fun of following interesting people and finding amazing trends. Remember the dress and the controversy over its color? That meme managed to resonate at the high-school level and among the crowd watching the evening news at the same time. The bottom line is social media is here to stay, so the best thing to do is embrace the reality of social media.
Here are three reasons why social media builds your personal brand:
- Worldwide Exposure. The greatest thing about social media is that your message is visible to the world as soon as you hit send. Of course, that’s the worst thing if you’re irresponsible, but for our purposes let’s assume you’re responsible. Having this exposure means great things for your brand.
- Greater Networking. Social media allows you to network with people you otherwise wouldn’t have a chance to. For example, if you notice on Twitter that someone has a lot of great ideas, you can contact them right away and build your network accordingly. This is the best part of social media. You never know who will be interested in your brand!
- The Law of Referrals. If you have a Facebook account, you already know how you get referrals from people you don’t know. If one person posts something you’ve done or said, and two others do the same from that post and so on, you gain massive exposure. This is the idea behind crowdsourcing and is just as effective for enhancing your personal brand.
Use social media to enhance your personal brand. The accounts are free and could end up netting you exemplary contacts and clearly demonstrating who you are and what you do–the essence of personal branding!
